Means for securing finish to metal bodies



Sept 18 W23.

0. F. GRAEBNER MEANS FOR SECURING FINISH TO METAL BODIES Filed June 15 1918 if h To all whomit may concern:

*lrao- STATES or one a. emannn, or romeo, onro, nssreuon To run Ys-o rm, OI" TOLEDO, OHIO, A. GOORATION OF OHIO.

MEANS roe sncunme rrnrsn 'ro Application filed June 15, 1918. Serial Ito. 240360.

Be it known that I, O'rro F. Gmnnnnn a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in thecounty of Lucas and State of Ohio, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Securing Finish to Metal Bodies, of which I declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact descri tion.

i invention relates to improved means for securing the upholstery or other finish to the metal bodies of automobiles and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing finish of any desired kind to metallic plates by forming integral with the plates retaining members for securin suitable connecting members thereon, serving to clamp the finish upon the plate.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of resilient retaining members struck outwardly from a metallic plate between which a screw or other threaded member may be drivenand held for securing upholstery or other suitable finish upon the plate.

I Further objects, and objects relating to economies of manufacture and details of construction, will definitely appear from thede tailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the followin specification. My invention is clearly efined and pointed out in the appended claims.

A structure constituting apreferred em-' bodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. I is a longitudinal, sectional elevation Y through n automobile body showing the aplicatlon of the upholstery or other interior finish thereto.

Fig. II is an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on line 11-11 of Fig. I.

Fig. H1 is a detail perspective view showing the application of the finish holding screws to the retaining members struck outwardly from one side of a plate comprising a wrtion of the lining of the body of the automobile.

Fig. IV is a detail view illustrating the of material lyin between the cuts, and,

F1g. V is a etail perspective view of a slightly modified application over that shown in Fig. III.

' Referring to the drawings, represents the body of an automobile and 11 and 12 the front and rear side doors respectively thereof. A panel 13 is shown in front of the door 11 and the upper and lower panels 14 at the rear of the door 12. On the lower portion of the back of the front seatis also shown a panel or skirting 15. These panels, together with the doors, comprise the prin cipal part of the interior side finish of the body of the car and the material to which the finish or upholstery is applied preferably comprises a plurality of metal plates forming the inner walls of the car body.

Heretofore, it has been customary in using metal plates forming the interior walls or lining of the car to place wooden strips on the back side of the plates for holding the screws serving to retain the upholstery in proper position upon the lates. present invention this is o viated and-the screws, instead of being applied in the usual manner," are driven into position by the use of a hammer or other tool, thereby greatly reducing the finish to the body of the car and consequently its cost of application as will be readily understood.

The interior finish which is applied to the doors and other parts forming the side walls of the screw layers of mate a1, as indicated at 16, 17, and 18 in Fig. -I, the outer layers being preferably formed of a suitable cloth or fabric and the intermediate layer of stifi'ening material, such as cardboard or the like.

The metallic plates 19'forming the inner walls of the car body, including the doors and seat back, are provided at suitable intervals with the outwardly struck tongues or retaining members 20 extending in a direction away from the material to be applied to the plate, said tongues forming suitable anchors for holdin the screws or'bolts 21 or other suitable ho ding members having abutments to engage the tongues when driven between said retaining members, as shown in. Fig.

The screw-enga edges of the tongues of the car is xgrijerably composed of three In the the time required for applying are preferably circular in shape, as indicated at 22, to conform generally to the contour of the screw at the base of the threads though they need not necessarily be out in this particular manner.-

S,ince the body lining 19 is usually con structed of sheet iron or steel plates, the screw-engaging retainin members 20 when struck outwardly, as in icated in Figs. H and Ill, are yieldable or spring-like by reason of the resiliency of the metal and when the screw is driven between these members they will be expanded and will spring into the recesses formed between the threads of the screw and grip the latter to hold the same in the desired position.

Any desired number of the screw retain ing members may be provided for each screw but in the preferred embodiment l have shown four, while in the modification only two. it will be understood that the screws may be removed when desired by turning them with a screw driver or other suitable tool.

These members may be formed by providing the apertures 23 in the plates 19 and preferably, at the same time and with the same tool, producing the radially extend ing cuts 24: and then striking outwardly from the plate the desired number of the retaining members, as indicated in Figs. Ill and V. 1a Figure V, the material intermediate alternate retalning members 20 is cut 0d more than the other retaining members so that the alternate members may clear the screw 21 and lie flush with the sheet metal.

I am aware that the particular, embodiment of my invention, which I have here shown and described, is susceptible of considerable variation, and, therefore, ll do not limit the invention to the specific use of applying finish to an automobile body. It will be understood that the invention comprehends the use of any suitable holding member other than a screw which may be driven between the tongues of the plate to be held by the same.

Having thus described my invention, what menace I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device for securing se arable members together, a metallic plate aving a plurality of tongues radiating from a common center, a threaded holding member of uniform cross section throughout its length driven between said tongues and held thereby, and a member held by said holding member.

2. In a device for securing separable mem bers together, a metallic plate having a plurality of outwardly struck tongues, a threaded holding member of uniform cross section throughout its length driven between said tongues and held thereby, and a member connected with said plate by means of said holding member.

3. In a device for securing separable members together, a metallic plate having a plurality ot' outwardly struck tongues, a plurality of tongues lying flush with the said plate a threaded holdin tween said tongues and held by said outwardly struck tongues, and a member connected with said plate by means of said holding member.

4-. In a device for securing separable members together, a metallic plate having a pinrality of outwardly struck tongues, a pinrality of tongues lying flushwith the said plate, the said last mentioned tongues bein shorter than the other tongues, a threade holding member driven between said tongues and held by said outwardly struclr tongues, and a member connected with said plate by means of said holding member,

5.. In a device for securing separable members together, a metallic plate having a, plurality of outwardly struck tongues, a plurality of shorter tongues lyin flush with the plate, all of said tongues, having their free ends notched, and a threaded holding member drivenbetween said tongues and held by said outwardly struck tongues,

In testimony whereof, I ads my signature.

@TTU F, GRAJEEhlElt.

member driven be-' till ill 

